by Nicky Graves
Wiltone must have been busy.
“Vance, what are you doing here?” I asked.
“Why do you have a little boy in your bedroom?”
“None of your business,” I said. “Why are you here and hovering over me like a bat? It’s creepy waking up to find someone staring at you.”
“Don’t get in a twist. I’m helping you, remember? The reason I’m here is because I got some traction with the vampires. Thought you and your lackeys might want to know.”
I swung my legs off the bed and stood.
“You didn’t make a deal with Juliette, did you?”
“No. I didn’t bother talking to her clan, but I was able to talk to a few others. A few are grudgingly willing to aid your cause if necessary, but they won’t give their help lightly. Some just said they wouldn’t get involved. Which is helpful in its own way. The fact that Lucifer is playing nicely with Azrael scared off many.” Vance eyed Tubron. “What’s his story?”
“This is Tubron the Purple.”
“He’s a life stone? I wasn’t expecting a kid.”
I gave a nod. “Don’t say anything to set him off. Wiltone and Treble are keeping him content. Otherwise, I’d be a blubbering baby right now.”
“I’ve had enough of crying females to last me until the end of time.”
“Stop biting them and they’d stop crying.”
“Sometimes they like it when I bite.”
I rolled my eyes.
“How did you get the scars?” he asked.
Glancing down at my arms, I noticed the scars were still on me. I had thought once I bonded with Tubron, the scars would go away. But they were still there. No longer purple, but an angry red.
“They transferred from Tubron to me,” I said. “I don’t know the whole story, but I get the feeling the villagers probably hurt Tubron before banishing him. However, Wiltone thinks the scars are Tubron’s doing.”
“Harsh,” Vance said, studying the kid. “He doesn’t seem worse for wear.”
“Probably has to do with the fact that he’s a life stone and Wiltone and Treble are keeping him calm.”
I stood and made my way to the kitchen to see if there was any food. I nearly squealed in delight to find there were muffins.
“Wiltone, I love you.”
I felt her acknowledge my thanks.
As I shoved a muffin into my mouth, Vance arched a brow. “Hungry?”
“So hungry,” I said between mouthfuls. “I really miss food. I miss three meals a day. And snacks. And dessert.”
“So do I,” Vance said.
I stared at him for a moment, remembering food wasn’t an option for him. “Sorry.”
He gave a shrug as if it didn’t matter, but I knew it did.
“Do you think the claim has worn off?” I asked. “Or do you still feel it?”
He shrugged again. “It might have gone away a little, but I still feel your presence from time to time. I must have felt you while you were retrieving the purple stone. The pain that came through was strong. And it came at a horrible time. I was meeting with the Kavorik clan. They tend to only respect brutes, and acting like a brute was hard to pull off when I felt tears in my eyes.”
“Sorry. Maybe over time our connection will go away. Hopefully these are just lingering aftereffects.”
“Maybe, but you don’t seem to have the same problem.”
I had wondered about that as well.
“It’s probably just because I’ve got all these other life forces in me. They drown out everything else.”
“Anyone here?” a girlish voice called from the living room.
I stepped out of the kitchen to find Ranger standing in the living room with someone unfamiliar. The man’s eyes glowed amber, and right away I knew it had to be a demon. The three horn nubs protruding from his forehead also helped give him away.
Judging from his glare, he was definitely not happy to be here. His metal restraints emitted a low humming sound, but he didn’t struggle. He just stood rod straight.
“Who’s this?” I asked.
“He’s one of Lucifer’s trusted minions,” Ranger said. “He might know something about what Lucifer’s planning, but he’s not talking.”
“So you brought him here?” I asked.
“Didn’t know where else to go,” Ranger said.
I looked at the demon again. In terms of size, he towered over Ranger. His fury at being caught had his eyes sparking like electricity. How did Ranger catch this guy? The demon was certainly someone I’d think twice about fighting with.
“What’s Lucifer’s plan?” Vance asked the demon.
The demon didn’t say anything. He just glared at us.
“Does he speak a different language?” I asked.
“He knows English, but he’s being stubborn,” Ranger said.
“How did you get him here?” I asked.
Ranger grinned. “Persuasion. It’s amazing how many perverts are out there. I lured him to Charlie’s, and Raven spiked his drink.”
Lawson’s succubus girlfriend was forever slipping drugs into people’s drinks. But at least I learned my lesson. Sure, it took me two times to learn it, but I can honestly say I will never touch another of her drinks. Which is a bit sad because Treble would do anything for another round of Happy Juice. He might even forgive me.
“So now what?” I asked. “We wait for him to snap out of it and go Godzilla on us?”
“I thought you could use Wiltone to help loosen his lips,” Ranger said. “While I have a smoking bod, Wiltone has the passion. Double whammy.”
“Ranger, stop saying you have a smoking bod. You’re an old man in a minor’s body. It’s creepy,” I said.
“Hey, this is my body now. I don’t want it, but I’m stuck with it. I might as well use it while I got it.”
“What about using the kid instead of Wiltone?” Vance asked.
“Kid?” Ranger asked.
“Tubron the Purple,” I said. “He makes me ugly cry.”
“Well, unleash the kid on this guy,” Ranger said. “Demons never cry. Should be an interesting effect.”
I walked over to the demon, who looked as though he wanted to swat me with one of his giant hands. I touched his arm, allowing Tubron’s power to cascade through me. Wiltone and Treble eased their control, and the boy who had been playing with his toy car came to stand by me. Purple scars began appearing on the demon.
The demon sank to his knees. Large hiccupping sobs tore from him.
I knew I only had a small amount of time before I’d succumb to Tubron’s power as well.
“Stop,” the demon pleaded. “Make it stop.”
Ranger grinned. “This is a new emotion for him. Must be very uncomfortable.”
“You know what to do to stop it,” Vance said to the demon. “Tell us Lucifer’s plan.”
“We bring down Death’s heir,” the demon sobbed.
“We already know that,” Ranger said. “What else?”
“Nothing! That’s all I know!” the demon cried.
“You’re lying,” Ranger said. “Do you want this to continue? Because we’re dealing with life stones here. We can keep going for eternity.”
Through tear-filled eyes, the demon glared at Ranger. “I’ve been in hell for eternity, something that you don’t have a clue about. Your threats are meaningless.”
Ranger raised a brow. “He’s a little stronger than I thought he was.”
I gave Ranger a pleading look, trying to indicate I couldn’t handle this for much longer.
“Tell us how Lucifer plans to bring down the heir,” Vance demanded.
“Fools!” the demon yelled. “Lucifer trusts no one. Not even me. He would never tell me about his plans. You’re wasting my time. When I get free, I’m—”
Ranger hauled back and punched the demon in the back of his head, but the strike did nothing to the angry demon. “Stupid girl body,” Ranger said.
“It’s not a stupid body. You just ca
n’t fight with your brute strength,” I said. “You have to fight differently.”
Ranger shook his hand. “I liked my brute strength.”
“What else is Lucifer up to?” Vance asked the demon.
The demon, who was now panting as he tried to control his sobbing, scowled at Vance and said, “Go to hell, vampire.”
“There’s a whole lot of talking about hell, but not much to show for it.” This time, Vance punched the demon. The demon fell flat to the ground.
“Would you two stop hitting him?” I scolded.
“You weren’t supposed to knock him out,” Ranger said.
“I didn’t mean to,” Vance said. “It was barely a hit.”
“He was probably weakened from his laced drink and then from Tubron,” I said. “What do we do with him now?”
Ranger cursed. “I can’t let him go. He’d warn the others that we’re asking questions. I really thought this would work.”
The call of death pulled at me, making my insides feel as though they were twisting.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” I said as I clutched my stomach.
“We better go,” Wiltone said as she appeared next to me.
“That demon better not be here when I return,” I warned Ranger before allowing death to pull me from the pod.
When I shifted, I had expected to arrive at an unfamiliar place like normal. But this time, I stood in a familiar living room.
I was home.
Petrified, I called, “Mom? David?”
Hurrying through the first floor, I passed by the dining room and kitchen. Not finding either of them, I ran upstairs. I swept through Mom’s room and then David’s room. The bathroom was empty as well.
Hesitantly, I stopped at my room. When I pushed open the door, I saw Azrael sitting at my desk with his feet kicked up. He wasn’t wearing his black robes. Just jeans and a flannel jacket. He eyed me with an amused gaze. What was he up to? It was then that I saw my mom and brother lying on my bed, their eyes closed.
“Mom?” I hurried over to feel for a pulse. A slight flutter told me she was alive, but barely. Her skin was cold.
Glaring back at Azrael, I demanded, “What are you doing?”
His grin never slipped from his face. “It seems like I have something you want. And you have something I want.”
I wasn’t stupid. He wanted the purple stone.
“You already have the black stone and probably the green stone. Both are far more powerful than anything I possess. Let my mother and brother go.”
“I don’t think you understand how this works,” he said. “I need all of the stones.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Do not toy with me, little girl,” he said, his smile turning into a snarl. “I want the stones.”
My mother’s breathing became ragged and her lips turned blue.
“Stop,” I said. “Leave them alone. They are innocent.”
“Innocent, maybe,” he said. “But my scythe won’t kill you, so I’ll have to use them for now. You have two options. Give me the stones, or watch your mother and brother die.”
I didn’t want to give him the stones, especially after the green stone had been ripped from me. I had realized too late that the stones weren’t mine to give. But my family . . .
“You know I can’t hand them over,” I said.
“Stupid girl,” he said. “Give me the stones, or I’ll torture them first and then kill them.”
I closed my eyes and took a breath.
This was a situation I couldn’t control. Azrael had the upper hand. Either way, I was going to lose.
I tried to sense Wiltone and Treble, but they stayed silent inside of me, almost as if waiting for me to allow Azrael to take them. They knew I would choose my family and sacrifice them. And that destroyed me. Because whatever they might think, they were my family too. They were a part of me.
“I will not give up any of them,” I finally said.
As my mom’s and brother’s breathing grew ragged again, I tried not to let the sound affect me. But it did. This was the end for them, and it was my fault. But I couldn’t hand over the stones. Too much was at stake.
Tortured, I listened as they gasped for air.
Before they took their last breath, Wiltone, Treble, and Tubron burst forward. Their sudden appearance caught Azrael by surprise, allowing my family to breathe again.
“Interesting,” he said, looking at the three who stood in front of me as a shield. And while he didn’t seem concerned, he also didn’t make a move against us.
My mother’s and brother’s breathing became labored again.
“Release the mother and the child,” Wiltone said to Azrael, “and we will go willingly.”
Azrael released his hold on my family, but he didn’t look as if he trusted Wiltone.
Without any assistance from Azrael, the stones somehow detached from me. Three glowing lights floated from me, draining from my body and returning to their crystal form. Treble had told me he couldn’t unbond from me, and yet what was happening now told me otherwise. Had he lied? Or was there something else going on?
Azrael laughed as he stood and grasped the stones in his hand.
He had five of the seven stones. There was no way I’d be able to fight him now. Between his strength, the stones, and Lucifer, I didn’t stand a chance.
Azrael’s eyes turned solid black as his robes returned with the smoky black snakes I had nightmares about. And within seconds, his scythe appeared in his hand, pulsating with energy. He struck at me, and I couldn’t back away in time. But the blade halted before it could nick me.
Azrael cursed. “It was worth a shot.”
He then shifted out of my room.
Mom and David took long gasping breaths of air as they were allowed oxygen again.
Both were still passed out, but I could see the color return to them. They would be okay, for now.
However, I had no doubt that Azrael would use them as a bargaining tool again. They were far from safe.
16
I was in my pod, lying on my bed with the covers pulled over my head when I heard a noise in my room. And while normally I might have peeked out, wondering who was lurking in my home, I didn’t quite care at the moment.
What did it matter?
Everything seemed bleak and hopeless.
Hiding in bed seemed like the best option at the moment.
Pathetic? Yes. But I was overwhelmed with the loss of the stones. My body felt empty. My head felt lonely.
And it was all my fault.
The bed compressed next to me as someone sat down and made themselves comfortable.
“What’s wrong?” a familiar male voice asked.
I peeked out at Lawson.
Lowering the blankets, I pulled myself up to sit against the headboard, mirroring his position.
“I screwed up again.”
“What happened?” he asked.
“I got the death call,” I said. “It brought me home.”
“To your mother’s house?”
I nodded. “Azrael was there, waiting for me. He had my mom and brother knocked out.”
“What did he want?”
“The stones, of course. I didn’t want to give them to him,” I said, hoping Lawson wouldn’t judge me too harshly. I was already judging myself enough as it was. “The thing is, I wasn’t going to give them up, and I knew my family would die. But the life stones left me of their own free will. They went with Azrael.”
“I didn’t think they could un-bond like that.”
“Neither did I. Treble said it couldn’t be done. But maybe he was being difficult.”
Treble did have that tendency.
We were silent for a moment.
“I’m sorry,” he said as he took my hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “That couldn’t have been easy.”
I shook my head. “I feel lost. Like part of me is missing. And what’s worse is that Azrael has five stones. What if h
e gathers them all?”
“Hopefully he doesn’t. And we aren’t out of the game yet,” Lawson said. “I think I found the guardians.”
“How? Where?”
“I followed a few clues that led me to a realm. I think they’re in it, but in hiding. I need you to come with me.”
“Why?” It wasn’t that I didn’t want to help. It was that I was bound to make the situation worse.
“Because they’ve sealed themselves off. You might be the only one to get through to them.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. You’re the heir, after all.”
“I can try. Would they even want to bother with me? I can’t even keep the life stones safe.”
“You have a good conscience that guides you. The guardians will see that as a positive thing. I have a feeling they will talk to you.”
“How do you do it?” I asked.
“Do what?”
“Keep going. Despite all that has happened, you keep going while I want to bury my head under this blanket. I feel weak and useless. And you keep pushing on.”
“We all feel like that. The point is to keep going, because the alternative is worse.”
“Sometimes it feels like the alternative will happen no matter what we try.”
“And it might. But I’d rather try than give up. Ready?”
I gave a nod.
I would see this through to the end. Whatever end that might be.
Lawson and I shifted to a realm that took my breath away.
Standing in a clearing, a dense forest surrounded us. Vibrant blossoming flowers blanketed the ground. Calls of animals that sounded like monkeys echoed around us. And birds with a wingspan double that of a condor soared through the lavender-tinted sky.
We stood on a path that led deeper into the forest.
“They’re in there,” he said, pointing down the tree-shaded path. “I tried to follow, but the farther I got inside, the more I wanted to turn away. But I think it’s just an enchantment to keep people away.”
“How will I get through?” I asked.
“I’m hoping they sense who you are and will allow you inside.”
There was no harm in trying, unless . . . “What if this is a trap?”
“I don’t think it is.”